Romancer (NZ) (Redwood) has delivered a knock-out blow to punters with his victory in the Listed Straight Six (1200m) at Flemington.
Sent off a $101 chance under Lachlan Neindorf, Romancer led home a trifecta of outsiders down the Flemington straight 1200m course on Saturday to score by a length from I’m Telling Ya ($21) with Irish Songs ($51) three-quarters-of-a-length away third.
Trainer Grahame Begg said he could not remember having a horse go around at such long odds.
“Funnily enough, my wife said to me last night ‘I dont think you’ve ever had a horse go around at 150-1’,” Begg said.
“I had one early that was a long price but I thought this horse was over the odds.”
Begg said a jump-out on the course-proper at Caulfield during the week gave him some confidence the horse was in good order.
Also in the back of the trainer’s mind was Romancer’s good record at Flemington, although over a longer trip than the 1200m.
“He worked very, very well with Sartorial Splendor,” Begg said.
“He was up alongside him in the finish, but I just thought it was going to be too sharp the 1200 (metres) for him today.
“He’s better at 1400 and 1600 metres, but he’s a grand old horse because he goes to the races and puts in everytime.
“He’s great to do anything with and to get a Listed win is great for the owners who have been very supportive.”
Begg said Romancer spelled during the summer months with the intention of targeting the wetter winter months, in particular the VRC-CRV Winter Championship, a race the gelding finished second in back in 2019 and seventh last year.
For Neindorf, it was his first Flemington victory.
“I’ll take it in a Listed race,” Neindorf said.
“Mr Begg said that he could surprise us with his jump outs leading into his first-up run and then disappoint a little bit, but geez he was super today.”
Romancer began his career in New Zealand, winning four times for the training partnership of Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs including the Listed Mufhasa Stakes (1300m).
He initially campaigned in Australia with disqualified trainer Darren Weir before joining Begg in the early part of 2019.
